Narrative:

It was brought to my attention that the left engine was running unattended at gate on arrival at the hotel for scheduled layover. To the best of my knowledge and recall, both engines were shut down in normal sequence using standard company procedures, SOP and the aircraft was secured for a normal extended overnight. The right engine was shut down approaching the gate and left engine was shut down 4-5 mins after the parking brake was set and after ground power was plugged in and accepted. I selected ground power to 'on' and commanded the first officer to shut down the left engine. I confirmed the start switch was placed in the cutoff position and verified that the left engine fuel flow was zero prior to dimming the engine CRT's. Most cockpit lights and flight instrument CRT's had been turned off or dimmed prior to the left engine being shut down. The remaining lights, battery switch and standby power switch were turned off and the 'yellow' circuit breakers were pulled prior to exiting the cockpit. After gathering my bags, I went to the cabin, where all first class passenger had deplaned and proceeded to door 2L to 'say my goodbyes' to the remaining coach passenger and joked with a flight attendant about the outcome of the football game. With the left engine running, I am sure the noise would have gotten my attention. I normally would find myself at 2L at conclusion of most flts on the B757 and did not sense anything out-of-ordinary. My conversation with passenger and flight attendants was normal -- not strained. I left the aircraft with 1 passenger waiting for a wheelchair to arrive. We were not hurried or rushed during this time period. If the left engine was left running, I can only speculate as to how it happened. Flight crew communication and CRM was good. Company procedures and sops were followed. This trip was a 4 day trip following a 3 day trip with 1 day off between the trip for personal business. If fatigue was a factor, I can not identify it, but it's always a possibility at the end of the work day.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B757 FLT CREW IS NOTIFIED BY COMPANY THAT THEY LEFT THE ACFT WITH AN ENG RUNNING.

Narrative: IT WAS BROUGHT TO MY ATTN THAT THE L ENG WAS RUNNING UNATTENDED AT GATE ON ARR AT THE HOTEL FOR SCHEDULED LAYOVER. TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE AND RECALL, BOTH ENGS WERE SHUT DOWN IN NORMAL SEQUENCE USING STANDARD COMPANY PROCS, SOP AND THE ACFT WAS SECURED FOR A NORMAL EXTENDED OVERNIGHT. THE R ENG WAS SHUT DOWN APCHING THE GATE AND L ENG WAS SHUT DOWN 4-5 MINS AFTER THE PARKING BRAKE WAS SET AND AFTER GND PWR WAS PLUGGED IN AND ACCEPTED. I SELECTED GND PWR TO 'ON' AND COMMANDED THE FO TO SHUT DOWN THE L ENG. I CONFIRMED THE START SWITCH WAS PLACED IN THE CUTOFF POS AND VERIFIED THAT THE L ENG FUEL FLOW WAS ZERO PRIOR TO DIMMING THE ENG CRT'S. MOST COCKPIT LIGHTS AND FLT INST CRT'S HAD BEEN TURNED OFF OR DIMMED PRIOR TO THE L ENG BEING SHUT DOWN. THE REMAINING LIGHTS, BATTERY SWITCH AND STANDBY PWR SWITCH WERE TURNED OFF AND THE 'YELLOW' CIRCUIT BREAKERS WERE PULLED PRIOR TO EXITING THE COCKPIT. AFTER GATHERING MY BAGS, I WENT TO THE CABIN, WHERE ALL FIRST CLASS PAX HAD DEPLANED AND PROCEEDED TO DOOR 2L TO 'SAY MY GOODBYES' TO THE REMAINING COACH PAX AND JOKED WITH A FLT ATTENDANT ABOUT THE OUTCOME OF THE FOOTBALL GAME. WITH THE L ENG RUNNING, I AM SURE THE NOISE WOULD HAVE GOTTEN MY ATTN. I NORMALLY WOULD FIND MYSELF AT 2L AT CONCLUSION OF MOST FLTS ON THE B757 AND DID NOT SENSE ANYTHING OUT-OF-ORDINARY. MY CONVERSATION WITH PAX AND FLT ATTENDANTS WAS NORMAL -- NOT STRAINED. I LEFT THE ACFT WITH 1 PAX WAITING FOR A WHEELCHAIR TO ARRIVE. WE WERE NOT HURRIED OR RUSHED DURING THIS TIME PERIOD. IF THE L ENG WAS LEFT RUNNING, I CAN ONLY SPECULATE AS TO HOW IT HAPPENED. FLT CREW COM AND CRM WAS GOOD. COMPANY PROCS AND SOPS WERE FOLLOWED. THIS TRIP WAS A 4 DAY TRIP FOLLOWING A 3 DAY TRIP WITH 1 DAY OFF BTWN THE TRIP FOR PERSONAL BUSINESS. IF FATIGUE WAS A FACTOR, I CAN NOT IDENT IT, BUT IT'S ALWAYS A POSSIBILITY AT THE END OF THE WORK DAY.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.